


Hold me tight

by sugarandspace



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hugs, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23598334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarandspace/pseuds/sugarandspace
Summary: Sometimes a long hug can help more than any words could.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 38
Kudos: 184
Collections: Shadowhunters Fic-A-Thon 2020





	Hold me tight

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is basically just one big hug ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Magnus doesn’t hear Alec come home. He’s only alerted of his presence when Alec sets his briefcase down in the living room. The noise makes Magnus’ eyes snap up and he takes note of his husband who’s looking at him with worry in his expression. 

“Everything alright?” Alec asks tentatively.

Magnus stands up from the armchair he’d been sitting in and sets his almost full drink on the table next to it. He’d stopped after the first sip when he’d realized that it didn’t taste like it was supposed to, it wasn’t a relaxing drink at the end of the day but rather a sad attempt at it.

What he has in front of him now is a million times more tempting.

Wordlessly, Magnus steps closer and brings his arms around Alec.

Alec returns the hold immediately. His arms go around Magnus’ waist while Magnus’ hands rest over Alec’s shoulder blades, pulling the other man closer. Magnus leans his face against Alec’s shoulder, breathing deeply for the first time in what feels like days. The scent of Alec is comforting, and Magnus does his best to focus on that, letting it chase out all the stress his head has been occupied with.

In that moment, Magnus’ world consists of Alec's scent, his strong arms around Magnus’ waist, his solid body against Magnus’ front, and the feel of warm skin that's covered by the button-down shirt that Magnus can feel under his palms. Magnus’ fingers curl up slightly - enough to  _ feel more  _ but not enough to form fists.

The pressure in his chest eases a little with each breath he takes and his muscles slowly let go of the tension that lingers in them. His thoughts slow down and it’s finally quiet.

Magnus tries to step in closer but finds he’s unable to do so. They stumble a little but Alec is sure and steady, not letting them fall.

As he continues to take in deep breaths almost synced up with the steady movement of Alec’s chest against his, one of Alec’s hands starts to wander. The other stays where it was, gently pressing at the small of his back, a steady source of warmth through the silk shirt Magnus is wearing. The other moves up and down Magnus’ spine, comforting in its simplicity, the repetitive motion helping Magnus relax further. 

There's a prickle of tears behind his closed eyelids, a sign of thinking too much for too long and of long-overdue relief.

Magnus has no idea how long they stay like that, quiet in the dimly lit loft where the only sound that can be heard is the quiet tick of the clock on the wall. It’s longer than a normal hug for sure, but this situation calls for something more than a normal hug and he’s glad he doesn’t need to explain. He’s immensely grateful that Alec doesn’t pull away, but instead lets Magnus soak in the closeness and the comfort it brings.

Eventually, Magnus pulls back, feeling slightly silly. The feeling disappears however, when he looks Alec in the eyes and doesn’t see a trace of amusement there. It’s not like Magnus was exactly expecting Alec to mock him or make fun of his weird clinginess, but some insecurities are deep-rooted. It’ll take some time for it to sink in that Alec is as much a tactile person as Magnus is, and he understands that sometimes the best comfort can be found from a long tight hug, that leaning your whole weight against someone and trusting them not to let you fall can do wonders to fix a mind that’s going too fast.

They are not in a hurry when they hold each other.

Even now they still keep some of the contact, Magnus’ hands cradling Alec’s elbows while Alec’s hands rest on Magnus’ biceps.

“Thank you,” Magnus says quietly. The moment feels too gentle for loud words and Magnus isn’t willing to break it yet. He knows Alec understands what he means when a small smile crosses his husband’s lips, and Magnus can guess the reply he'll get before Alec even opens his mouth.

“You don’t need to thank me,” Alec says, his tone equally gentle. “Not for something as simple as this.”

“I know,” Magnus says. It’s not like he thinks Alec might consider this a chore or would require a thank you as a payment for a service, but it’s more about Magnus wanting his husband to know how much he appreciates this, how much it means. “I wanted to.”

Alec replies with a soft kiss placed on Magnus’ cheek, his warm lips lingering there for a few seconds.

Magnus’ eyes flutter closed and it takes a moment for them to open again after Alec leans back, his mind blissfully slow and quiet for the first time in a too long time. 

He opens his eyes and breathes in deep.

This is something the stress and anxiety can’t take away from him, he thinks as he looks at Alec. He has this to return to at the end of the day, and while it doesn’t erase the other things that need his attention, it captures it for long enough that for a second, it’s the only thing that matters.

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, let me know what you think! And if you want to, you can find me from [tumblr](https://sugarandspace.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/sugarandspace_)!


End file.
